31 October 2014: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) launched the 16-31 October issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report, which highlights the current debate over whether insurance for the risk of natural disasters will cover timber market disruptions caused by the Ebola outbreak.

The report also notes that the new President in Indonesia has merged the ministries of environment and forestry while in India, a dispute over the auction of Red Sander, claimed by the government of Andhra Pradesh to be endangered, is now a court case.

With regard to markets, the report notes that housing starts in Japan have dropped sharply over previous years, while a call is emerging for a more sustainable wood supply chain in China possibly through green procurement, production, distribution and marketing.

For furniture production and trade, the report notes an increase in furniture exports from Brazil to the US as well as a slight recovery in wooden furniture imports to the EU. Also in the US, the report states that while wood decking will continue to be the main material used, the proportion of wood-plastic composite decking is expected to increase.

In addition to the headline stories, the report contains tropical timber market reports from Brazil, China, Ghana, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar and Peru. The report further recounts regional tropical timber market statistics from Central and West Africa, Europe and North America.

The TTM published through the ITTO Market Information Service (MIS) requires free registration to access the reports. [Publication: Tropical Timber Market Report – Issue 18 Number 20]